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Teamwork nabs thief; stolen
equipment returned to WBT angler
Ex-profiler, WBT angler Robin Babb spearheads recovery
BASS Communications — April 26, 2006
Former bodyguard and current WBT angler Robin Babb helped
authorities nab a suspect in the theft of a fellow pro's tackle and laptop.
GADSDEN, Ala. — A former bodyguard and stalker-profiler from Livingston,
Texas, thought she had said goodbye to her previous life of thwarting criminals.
But at the first event of the fledgling Mercury Marine Women's Bassmaster
Tour presented by Triton Boats, Robin Babb's instinct reigned supreme as
she became essential in the recovery of a fellow WBT angler's stolen equipment.
Japanese angler Tami Kashiwabara had 15 Megabass rods and a laptop computer, valued together at $13,000, stolen from her hotel room during the practice period for the opening event of the WBT inaugural season in Gadsden, Ala., on Neely Henry Lake.
"I felt so bad for Tami because she was so upset," Babb said. "She just didn't understand because this never happened to her in Japan. I was so glad I could help her out."
Using her former training in the threat assessment and management sector, Babb spread the word to locals about the missing equipment and soon enough, one of those locals reported that they had been offered to buy what they thought was stolen equipment. The individuals trying to sell the rods were floating in a bass boat that had no gas, which made the Good Samaritans suspect something was awry. Then, in the lot for sale — at a very low price — were the Japanese Megabass fishing rods that Kashiwabara was missing — rods available in America, but much more well-known and used in Japan.
The Gadsden Police Department was notified and investigators were able to track down a suspect, according to Cpt. Jeff Wright. Wright said the locals were so engaged, they actually snapped a photo of the suspect on their cell-phone camera.
"It's a little weird, but criminals see this as convenient and easy," Wright said. "They see the fishing boats and know there will be rods and reels here."
With Babb's help and the police department's quick reaction, nearly all of Kashiwabara's equipment was recovered and returned to her last week during the tournament. Wright said at least one arrest was made in the case, but the investigation is still open and more arrests may follow.
"I was happy, surprised and relieved," said Kashiwabara, through a translator. "It was like losing a friend when the rods were stolen and when I got them back, it was like my friends were coming back to me."
Kashiwabara had another helpful hand in her experience from WBT tournament director Deb Wilkinson, who translated for the angler when she was communicating with police. "I used to be fluent in the language, but I just don't speak it that often," Wilkinson said. "It all comes back to me when I need to use it though."
Even without the majority of her rods, Kashiwabara fished the first women's event and tied for 42nd place. She said she will look to improve on that performance when she's got all of her equipment — at the next WBT event on May 18-20 on Lewisville Lake just outside of Dallas, Texas.
Sponsors of the Women's Bassmaster Tour include Mercury Marine, Triton Boats, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Advance Auto Parts and Plano.
For more information on this story, go to www.bassmaster.com
Former bodyguard leaves threat
assessment career for bass fishing
Robin Babb is ready to roll in the Women's Bassmaster Tour 
CELEBRATION, Fla. — A Texas business entrepreneur and former bodyguard has abandoned her career — where she protected celebrities from stalkers and assessed the threat of fanatic fans — to lead a less stressful life in competitive bass fishing. But don't be mistaken. Robin Babb of Livingston, Texas, isn't fading away. In fact, she's roaring with unmistakable energy and staggering passion for the newly created Women's Bassmaster Tour. "My mother told me I was crazy, but it's just something I wanted to do," said Babb, who finished 27th in the Tour's preview event in October and already is registered for the five-event trail in 2006.
A medical necessity
Babb, first a bodyguard in New York and then in the threat assessment and management sector for nine years, had a stressful career. She profiled individuals who constantly wrote or pursued the famous to help determine their threat level. "My clients were the most famous of the famous," including movie stars and business leaders of Fortune 100 companies, she said. So while Babb always enjoyed fishing, it wasn't until she suffered a mild stroke while living in Los Angeles that she began tournament bass fishing to help relieve stress. It was a doctor's recommendation — and it worked.
Babb met an angler who befriended her, taught her techniques, took her to tackle stores and introduced her to a fishing club, where other anglers introduced her to tournaments. "The whole experience was exciting, enticing and relaxing," Babb said. Her competitive spirit drew her to tournament fishing in California, but none of the women's circuits were around long enough for her to build the reputation she sought in the sport. The Women's Bassmaster Tour, Babb said, is about to change that."
The WBT will help me achieve my dream of having a career in bass fishing," Already, Babb is on her way. She counts Triton boats as one sponsor and said she's currently negotiating with a second company for sponsorship.
Looking ahead
Today, Babb and her mother own and operate the Out to Lunch Café in Livingston, which specializes in homemade breads, soups, salads and deserts. Babb also is a real estate agent and is active in her community. She helped found the Livingston Specialty Merchants Guild, is the chairwoman of the Livingston Main Street Advisory Board, and is on the board of directors of the Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce. But fishing is integral for Babb, so it's routine for early morning café customers to find her pitching a casting plug down the aisles, under tables and through chair legs. At work, she also reads and studies bass and the lakes she'll fish. "I find a couple of hours three to four times a week to fish, but I don't have to be on the water to practice and refine my skills," she said.
Now in her early 40s, Babb has refocused her tournament hopes on the Women's Bassmaster Tour, where she's devising a plan to conquer the competition, but to also be a role model for other anglers and mentor them, just as she was mentored. "With positive goals, attitude and desire, any obstacle can be overcome," said Babb.
For more information on this story, go to www.bassmaster.com
Photos & Articles courtesy of BASS/ESPN Outdoors Communications.